Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Caballero.
Ben, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I became a Realtor when I was 21 years old and have been in the real estate business my entire life. For 18 of those years I also was a homebuilder I and noticed most builders were not listing their homes in the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. For those builders that did, their listings were not well managed. Because I also was a real estate broker, I saw a great opportunity – an unmet need – so I began listing builder homes in the MLS for homebuilders as a service. I soon discovered that maintaining these listings well with a manual system – it was all originally in Excel spreadsheets – was very difficult. At the time, I was watching how other businesses were using the Internet to create efficiencies and reduce costs. I also knew that nearly all builder sales centers had computers. It dawned on me that a web-based platform could replace my manual system. It would improve data collection and structure, and it would eliminate the management problems I was having. Most importantly, a web-based system would enable me to offer a much better service to my builders. That was how the idea originated so I went to work and began developing the platform. I launched it in 2007 and ten years later it the platform that manages all the listing for 62 volume homebuilders in Texas, including some of the biggest brands in the business.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Developing an online platform is never easy. It was more difficult for me because in the beginning, I was not well versed in the technology. Luckily, I found a very talented developer that did a great job creating the basic platform that we’ve refined and improved ever since.
Because the concept was new, recruiting builder clients was incredibly challenging as well. Their core competency is building and selling homes, not managing MLS listings. There are so many things that change with a property that is under construction: the price can change, availability, the construction status, the completion date, even figuring out when to order the photographer to shoot photos for completed homes can be difficult and different with every home. It was also a struggle convincing builders that they could use outside help.
HomesUSA.com® – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
HomesUSA.com® is a web-based platform specializing in the management of MLS listings for homebuilders. We are known for speed, accuracy and customer service. We are truly unique as there is no other entity anywhere that can manage thousands of MLS property listings nearly well.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am really fortunate as I’ve received a number of incredible accolades: I was named Most Innovative Real Estate Agent by Inman News, the leading real estate news firm, in 2013 and was named a finalist last year. This year, Inman named me as a 2017 Real Estate Industry Influencer, which salutes industry professionals who “shape, change and influence” America’s real estate business. I was also named to the prestigious Swanepoel Top Trendsetter list this year, and Gary Keller, the founder of Keller Williams Realty, gave me the 2014 Pinnacle Award for Real Estate Entrepreneurship.
But the proudest moment of my career was when I became the World’s first Billion Dollar Agent. Being able to sell over $1 billion in listings in the state of Texas for my homebuilder clients was the proudest moment of my career, and last year I already broke my own record with over $1.444 billion in home sales.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4310 Sunbelt Drive,
Addison, TX 75001 - Website: www.HomesUSA.com
- Phone: (214) 526-8200
- Email: page@homesUSA.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ben.caballero
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bcaballero
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caballeroben/
Image Credit:
Photos and images courtesy of HomesUSA.com
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